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Boob preference - but what about the other one?

I BF LO about 8-10 times a day at 19mo. Since about 10mo he's only wanted the right boob and if I try to put him on the left to even things up a bit, he pulls a face like he knows something funny's going on but he just doesn't get the joke

So - what's going on with lefty? There's still milk there - in the shower I can express more on L than on R but it looks like I remember colostrum looking - kind of creamy. DP says it's gone off from being sat in there too long but this can't be right - can it? I can't be karting round stale milk in one boob? But then what IS happening to it? Does it get reabsorbed and then reproduced if it's not being used up?

Re: Boob preference - but what about the other one?

I'm glad you brought this up! I have been wondering about this topic since my 12 mo. old prefers righty over lefty, and I have a hard time even getting her to latch onto the left side. Anyway, I don't know the answer to your question, but maybe some other mamas here might??

I have been wondering what would happen to the left boob if she only nursed on the right side... I guess it would stop producing and right boob would pick up the slack??

Buff

IRL all my friends call me Buff, Wife to CB since 10/11/2003

Mom to DD - "MJ" born 9/2007 @ 8lbs 10oz, 21.5" She's 6 years old!
My journey nursing MJ started HERE, but we got through it and she breastfed 19.5 months, self-weaned on 5/17/09

Re: Boob preference - but what about the other one?

I dont have any advice for you but I had the same problem when DS was very small-- DH and I had a running joke that one boob was chocolate and the other was vanilla, and he just wasn't ready for chocolate yet :-)

I pumped to keep production even, blending milk from both breasts in bottles for the times when I wasn't around, and eventually he seemed to forget all about his preferences.

Re: Boob preference - but what about the other one?

I had lop-sided breasts from about 6 months on with my son. I had mastitis pretty bad in my left breast and my supply never quite recovered since my son also favoured the right side. My left side still produced, but we got to the point that we nursed on the left only once a day. During my second pregnancy, when my milk supply tapered off, they evened out again and now that I'm nursing again production is once again even.

If a Mother of twins can nurse two babies with only one set of breasts you CAN nurse 1 baby with 1 breast. I nursed 1 baby with 1.5 breasts, and no I didn't lean over

If you want to try to get your baby to nurse the less-favoured side try using the same position. If you use cradle hold for the right side, slide your baby over to football hold on your right. What worked for us was side-lying on the bed.

Re: Boob preference - but what about the other one?

Originally Posted by @llli*danlynclark

If you want to try to get your baby to nurse the less-favoured side try using the same position. If you use cradle hold for the right side, slide your baby over to football hold on your right. What worked for us was side-lying on the bed.

You're right... Side-lying still works to get my LO to nurse off both sides with no issues, but since we don't co-sleep anymore, 99% of the time I nurse her while sitting in our glider/rocker. And as I described in another thread, I am also using a position that could best be described as a modified cradle hold. My LO sits in my lap facing me, with her legs straddled around me, and she seems to nurse off either side with no issues, most of the time...

And yes, on days when she is being particularly difficult, I have used the football hold on occasion, but since she's SO tall and big, it's rather awkward, but we can usually stay in that position long enough to get a quick nursing session in on the least-favored boob.

Buff

IRL all my friends call me Buff, Wife to CB since 10/11/2003

Mom to DD - "MJ" born 9/2007 @ 8lbs 10oz, 21.5" She's 6 years old!
My journey nursing MJ started HERE, but we got through it and she breastfed 19.5 months, self-weaned on 5/17/09

Re: Boob preference - but what about the other one?

Originally Posted by @llli*buff24

You're right... Side-lying still works to get my LO to nurse off both sides with no issues, but since we don't co-sleep anymore, 99% of the time I nurse her while sitting in our glider/rocker. And as I described in another thread, I am also using a position that could best be described as a modified cradle hold. My LO sits in my lap facing me, with her legs straddled around me, and she seems to nurse off either side with no issues, most of the time...

And yes, on days when she is being particularly difficult, I have used the football hold on occasion, but since she's SO tall and big, it's rather awkward, but we can usually stay in that position long enough to get a quick nursing session in on the least-favored boob.

Buff

You could try having you lay on the couch on your side, and her stand up on the floor next to you and nurse. This is the toddler drive-by nursing position I believe.

Re: Boob preference - but what about the other one?

You could try having you lay on the couch on your side, and her stand up on the floor next to you and nurse. This is the toddler drive-by nursing position I believe.

We do this - Rielly-Anne calls it "stand up nursie." She hasn't touched my left breast in almost 3 weeks. Every now and then she'll act like she's going to nurse from that side, then giggle and go back to the right.

Why does it appear that it's always the left breast that gets rejected? Anyone know?

~Brandi~

Loving wife to K
Proud stepmom to B, and proud mom to J and R-A and our newest addition C